When fishing with a lure or spinning, it is desirable to be able to make the lure move erratically to more accurately imitate the motion of live bait. This can be achieved in part by the design of the lure itself, which may be configured to spin, weave and/or dive within the water.
When fishing from a stationary boat or shore, the movement of the lure can be further enhanced by a process commonly known as “jigging” in which the angler regularly flicks the rod quickly backwards while winding in the line, thereby causing the lure to periodically accelerate and decelerate as it is reeled in.
While this method may be effective, particularly when fishing with larger lures, it takes considerable skill and effort and is not practical when trying to simulate the fast darting movements of smaller bait.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,425,492 discloses a fishing reel in which the spool is movable between an eccentric and a concentric position. Line is wound onto the reel by rotating the spool. In the eccentric position, “jigging” can be effected. The spool can only be positioned in one eccentric position and the point at which the spool moves from the eccentric to concentric position is preset and cannot be adjusted by the user. This restricts a user from setting the desired degree of eccentricity to achieve a desired movement of a lure and does not allow a user to set the force on the line required to move the spool from the eccentric to concentric position. The construction is complex as implemented in a fishing reel having a rotating reel.
It is an object of the invention to provide a fishing reel that overcomes or ameliorates one or more disadvantages of the prior art or which at least offers a useful alternative.